Ilvyss
Ilvyss is large continent to the east of Aldreth. The Freeholds or the Free Cities These are a loose coalition of not-quite city-states and not-quite fiefdoms who are all under a mutual treaty that essentially binds them as an entity into a non- cohesive state. Each of the seven cities within the Freehold Treaty is an independent agent. Unlike a city-state, however, they all own swaths of land, sometimes enough to truly be considered a country in their own right, but land was added over time. All the Freeholds started as only a city that then grew. Each of them at this point also have several smaller towns and many villages who fall under their banner, but the defining characteristic of each of the Free Cities is that none of them have a their helm a king. Each city does determine its own means of governance, and while none are helmed by a king, some do have quasi-unilateral leaders such as a lord. In matters that pertain to the whole continent, the Freeholds all have a delegate they send to the Council of Lords, a democratic body composed of these seven delegates. Those of the Council then debate and deliberate in an undisclosed location until such time as they are either called back to their home cities or come to a conclusion. The Council of Lords is the highest authority in the land, and their decision on matters is immutable law, unless they can be convinced themselves to reconvene and change the doctrine. Each city brings something unique to the Freehold Treaty, both economically and culturally--and in means of governance. Even the races of those who make up a majority (in cities where there even is one) of each city's peoples vary widely from Freehold to Freehold. There is a lot of land area--even lucrative farmable land--across the continent that is unincorporated, as the Freeholds really don’t have a massive reach. Settlements in such areas are largely on their own in terms of self-defense, so homesteading away from the Freeholds is a hard life. Bandits, wildlife, or monsters can easily wipe out small, undefended villages and settlements, but the lifestyle does offer quite a bit more freedom and a respite from all law if some want it. The unclaimed areas are referred to as the Lawless Wilds. The Free Cities are Ambriel, Artera, Ceiling of the World, Kravask, Levalon, Marcellus, and Riven. In modern times, the Freeholds have enjoyed a peaceful and relatively prosperous existence. This comes on the heels of a war between the Free Cities and Mallois, the country to the northwest of the continent, one that ended about 20 years before the current day. Mallois invaded Kravask and then Riven in an attempt to expand its territory and influence by taking over the respective economic spheres of the two isolated cities. However, the treaty held strong and the rest of the Freeholds sent aid in the form of soldiers and food to the two besieged cities that allowed them to repel the attackers. After a few years of this, representatives from Mallois and the Lord’s Council both met in Vestalis, an officially neutral party to the war, to sign a peace treaty that is still in effect to this day. Relations are a little bit shaky still, but tensions aren’t anywhere close to boiling. Since the armistice, an unofficial push has been made to colonize and tame more of the Lawless Wilds. Some towns and small cities that were before undefended have managed to incorporate themselves into the territory of a Free City, or to otherwise organize effective defense systems that all but ensure they won’t be wiped out entirely like the settlements of yore. This has allowed for more permanent and effective maps to be made, but at the same time, it also means that people still don’t know about a lot of the more isolated villages and towns. Ambriel - known for their luxury goods and artisans, located near The Spines. Artera - a city of carnivals located on an island in the middle of the Nesmir Ocean. Ceiling of the World - a massive city on the peak of a tall mountain populated by aarakocra and goblins. Kravask - large smithing city, uses metal mined from the nearby Rykveit Fault. Levalon - city that sprung up amid leagues of fields. Known for farming and faith. Marcellus Riven Unincorporated Major Cities Katmanlar Vestalis Minor Cities Asgrivik Bonmer Dresair Enbrook Hastow Linnea Millstone Mollifell Petalgrove Ramshorn Rykveit Somnis Vilona